The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1887-09-02
A Tired Mothers Story.

This tender story of mothers ex.
perience is published in the Christian
Weekly. She had laid her table with
great care and pains for a company Of
distinguished guests, when her little
girl accidentally overturned a tureen
Of gravy on the snowy cloth.
"What should do: 1t seemed d
drop too much for my tired nerves
many drops too much for my table
cloth. was about to jerk my child
down angrily from the table, when 4
| blessed influence held me. | caught
the expression on her face; such {
sorry, frightened, appealing look ]
never saw, and suddenly picture OF
the past came and stood out vividly
before my minds eye. My child'E
face revealed feelings which | had eX.
perienced twenty years before.
"Iwas myselfa little nervous girl
about eight years old, in the happy
home of my childhood. 1t was &
stormy day III winter. 1t was soon
after coal-oil lamps were introduced
and father had bought ii very hand.
some one. The snow had drifted ..uI
| against the kitchen windows; so, al
though it was not dark, the lamp was
lighted. Mother was sick in bed up.
stairs, and We children were gathered
in the kitchen to keep the noise and
confusion away from her. l was feel.
ing myself very important, helping te
get supper; at any rate, | imagined
was helping, and in my ofliciousness
seized the lamp and went down into
the cellar for some butter; | tried tc
set it on the hanging-shelf, but alas,
didn't give it room enough, and down
it fell on the cemented floor.
Il shall never forget the shock that
it gave me. ! seemed almost paral-
yzed. | didn't dare go up stairs, and
was afraid to stay down there. TIC
make it worse. | heard my father
voice in the kitchen. lie had caution
ed us again and again to be careful OF
that lamp, and now there it lay, all
smashed to pieces.
''But his voice seemed to give me
impetus | needed to 90 up and meet
the scolding or whipping, or both,
which | felt sure awaited me. and
which l really felt l deserved. So l
| crept up over the dark stairway, and
as | entered the kitchen | met my fa-
ther, with such a stern look upon his
face that ! was frightened, I saw
there was no need to tell him what had
happened. He had heard the crash,
and if he hadn't | guess my face
wonld have told the story.
''The childron stood silently around
waiting too see what father would do,
and l could see by their faces that
they were horror-stricken, for that
lamp had been the subject of too
much talk and wonder to be smashed
| without a sensation. As for NE, |
felt so frightened, so confused and sor-
ry, that | couldn't speak. But upon
glancing again at father | saw the an
CRY look die out of his eyes and one of
tenderest pity take it, place. l doubt
that he saw the same look in my face
then that saw in my child's face to-
day. In minute he lifted NE in his
arms, and was hugging me close to
his breast. Then he whispered, oh so
kindly: Never mind, listen daughter ;
we all know it was an accident, but
hope you will take the small lamp
when you go down cellar again
"Oh, what Il reyulsion of feelings |
experienced, 1t was such il surprise
to me that l was suddenly overwhelm-
ed with feelings Of love and gratitude,
and burying my face | sobbed as if my
heart was breaking. No punishment
could have affected me half so much,
and nothing can ehace the memory of
it from nv mind.
GLOW loved my father to-day, as
the sight of my little girls face
brought it all freshly before me-
VIII she love me us dearly, I wonder,
twenty years or more from now, be-
cause moved by the same impulse that
stirred my fathers heart in that long
ago time. | was able to press the lit
tie frightened thing to my heart, and
tell her kindly that know she didn't
mean to spill the gravy, and that L
know she would be more careful in
the future. Will she be helped by it
when she is Il mother, as have beeu
helped by it to-day"